The Portland Press Herald has reported that Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King have proposed legislation that would direct the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate whether the health problems faced by some veterans in America are linked to the use of Agent Orange at CFB Gagetown.
More from that newspaper:
Veterans who trained at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in Oromocto, New Brunswick, have long tried to get the federal government to acknowledge that their health problems, including cancer and Parkinson’s disease, could be linked to chemical exposure.
Some who served in 1966 or 1967 have been compensated by either the Canadian or U.S. governments, but the number is small. An undetermined number of Maine veterans have sought compensation or medical help with some of the illnesses they claim stem from their training at Gagetown.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, fields at the base, which specializes in heavy artillery training, were sprayed with massive quantities of chemical herbicides and defoliants, including a small amount of Agent Orange, to control the vegetation. That means the number of veterans exposed at Gagetown could be significant.
“Protecting the health of those who have served our nation is a solemn responsibility,” Collins said in a prepared statement.
Collins said she raised the issue with Eric Shinseki, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. “Just as the government of Canada found a way to offer compensation to service members exposed to toxic herbicides at Gagetown, the VA should likewise be able to find a way to recognize the similar concerns voiced by Maine veterans,” Collins said.READ MORE: http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/01/05/u-s-senators-push-for-investigation-in-agent-orange-use-at-cfb-gagetown/
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